Wooster's restaurants and entertainment businesses step out on the patio

Sunday

Jul 15, 2012 at 4:00 AM

By STEVEN F. HUSZAI Staff Writer

WOOSTER -- Summer is here and for customers at a variety of Wooster establishments that means its time to enjoy the patios when they go out to eat and have a good time.

Up and down Wooster's entertainment venues, building patio space has become a necessity. A handful opened for customers just within the past month adding to the current selection of outdoor dining/entertainment options as places like SoMar Wine Cellars, TJ's Trio and the Olde Jaol Tavern.

Numerous establishments also sport some form of outdoor dining option with seating to accommodate customers wishing to enjoy the area's great (and sometimes fleeting) weather, such as Muddy Waters, Tulipan, Henry Station, Rancho Grande and several others.

An application has been submitted by the owners of the Market Grill to the city's Board of Building and Zoning Appeals, as patios locally gain momentum.

The business is seeking an area variance to erect a 9-foot tall fence around its patio space at the rear of the building at 234 S. Market St. at the July 5 meeting.

At the City Square Steakhouse, chef-owner Mike Mariola said the demand has always been there for outdoor dining.

"The Steakhouse opened in September and at the time we didn't have a patio ... we have some uncovered space," he said. Opening at the beginning of fall, Mariola said the decision was to get the business up and running first.

"Almost immediately, we were amazed by the demand from customers who wanted to eat outside. Especially in Ohio, people really want to sit outside and eat when the weather is nice," Mariola said.

The Steakhouse opened its renovated and partially enclosed outdoor seating area this past summer. Initially, the outdoor dining area was uncovered. But through the renovations, an enclosed section was added for use even during slightly inclement weather.

The area was reconfigured as well, said Mariola. The outdoor section was expanded further to the east and the handicapped access ramp was moved and allowed the Steakhouse to pick up roughly 16 additional seats.

A fire pit was added, planters were upgraded and the enclosure has retractable doors to be opened during warmer weather and can be closed for fall weather (possibly even winter as well).

"Even during construction we were constantly moving tables on and off the patio area because of the demand," Mariola said.

"It's a definite plus ... it'd be a requirement for any new restaurants," he noted.

Across the street, the St. Paul Hotel has focused on upgrading its patio to suit the needs of guests.

The patio at the hotel gives the new downtown business an opportunity to cater to special events, such as birthdays and weddings.

Developer Bill Erdos also developed the building adjacent to the hotel that houses SoMar. He said the patio there was not initially included in the design, but it soon became apparent there was a demand for outdoor seating.

"Not all of Ohio weather is wonderful but customers like to take advantage of it when it is nice outside," said Erdos.

When Erdos was putting the plans together for the St. Paul Hotel, he said there was a conscious effort made to cater to bridal parties and the like. Within the past few weeks, Erdos has extended the fence to increase privacy for guests and parties at the hotel.

The hotel's roughly 1,500-square-foot patio space has seating for 20-30 people. Erdos said plantings to increase the patio's ambiance have been installed, such as bamboo.

"This is just another amenity for guests" who eat breakfast outside, for example, he explained. "The patio was an integral part of the hotel as it would be another way to enhance (customers' experiences). We felt like we wanted to go the extra mile.

"It's pretty clear being able to sit outside is a big benefit," he said.

And the need for patio space spreads to Wooster's night life as well.

"It's definitely worth it ... a patio is not that expensive, especially when compared to the cost to overhaul the entire building," said Jason Carrick, owner of De Novo on Portage Road. Carrick renovated a former bank building into a night club in the Hawkins plaza.

For his club, Carrick said the patio space developed at the north side of the building was always a part of the plan and it serves two major functions.

First, it offers customers a chance to be outside and enjoy the weather. But it also is an area where smokers can go to. Previously, smokers at De Novo would stand outside the front entrance.

"A group out front causes a cluster at the front door ... this way it doesn't interfere with customers coming in who can get turned off by a group of people smoking," Carrick said.

And at De Novo, as several other places within Wooster, a patio allows it the opportunity to have live music outside and charity events.

"We've had a lot of comments and nice feedback so far ... come check it out," Carrick said.

Reporter Steve Huszai can be reached at 330-287-1645 or shuszai@the-daily-record.com. He is @GeneralSmithie on Twitter.